🌧️ US Rain Map – Live National Precipitation Radar

How to Check If It Is Raining Near You

Start with the national loop above and find your region. Green shades mean light rain, yellows and oranges mean moderate to heavy rain, and the brightest cores mark the heaviest downpours. Press play to see which direction the rain is moving: if a band is moving toward your town and holding together, rain is on the way. If it is breaking apart or moving away, your window of dry weather is opening.

For street-level detail, open your nearest city radar from the links below. City radars zoom into your metro area so you can see individual showers and rain bands instead of the whole-country picture. During a warning, the live alerts feed above shows which areas the National Weather Service has flagged, so you can tell at a glance whether the rain near you is just rain or something more serious.

Reading Rain on the Map

• Light green: light rain or drizzle. Plans outdoors are usually fine with a jacket.
• Yellow to orange: moderate to heavy rain. Expect wet roads and slower travel.
• Red and magenta cores: very heavy rain, possibly with hail or severe weather. Check warnings before heading out.
• A band that stays in one place: training storms that can cause flash flooding, even if no severe warning is active.
• Clear air behind a band: the rain has passed, though roads and low areas may still be wet or flooded.

Rain Across the Country, Season by Season

Rain patterns in the US follow the seasons. Winter brings Pacific storms to the West Coast and snow and mixed precipitation to the North, while the South often stays mild with occasional heavy rain. Spring is the wettest and stormiest season for the Plains and Southeast, with severe thunderstorms and flash flooding. Summer brings daily thunderstorms to Florida and the Southeast, monsoon moisture to the Southwest, and scattered storms almost everywhere else. Autumn quiets down for much of the country but stays active for tropical systems along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.

Whatever the season, the same habit works: check the national rain map for the big picture, then your city radar for the local detail, and always respect warnings. A quick radar check before a commute, a game, or a road trip takes less than a minute and can save you a very wet surprise.